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Murdered Ffion took blow to the back of her head

MURDERED Porthmadog care worker Ffion Wyn Roberts suffered a blow to the head and was dragged along the ground, an inquest has heard.

Coroner Dewi-Pritchard Jones resumed the inquest this week in Llangefni and recorded that 22-year-old Ffion was killed by drowning and ligature strangulation.

The coroner said two Home Office pathologists, Dr Richard Shepherd of Liverpool and Dr Brian Rodgers of Glan Clwyd Hospital had produced post mortem reports which were “very, very similar”.

A previous inquest hearing heard it was clear that Ffion had been strangled but not clear whether she had drowned as well.

“The two pathologists have come up with the conclusion that death was the result of both, namely that she was strangled and probably later or while she was still alive drowned as well,” the coroner explained.

“Basically what the medical evidence will say is that the deceased had significant blunt trauma to the back of the head, which has been with a blow or striking a hard object, with trauma injuries to the face or to the head. Scratching injuries indicated she had been dragged over a hard surface. It was also shown she had a significant amount of alcohol in her blood.”

Ffion was found in a drainage ditch yards from her home in April after she had been on a night out with friends.

The coroner’s report will now permit a death certificate to be issued to the family.

A local man is awaiting trial for murder. Mr Pritchard-Jones said he will now await the outcome of the crown court case.

No one from Ffion’s family was at the inquest.